Forever Friends
by samanddianefan10
Summary: After another failed attempt at romance with Sam, Diane comes back to Frasier's, where she found something surprising- another type of love. Yes, it was love after all.


Frasier woke up on that unusually bright and shiny Seattle morning with a splitting headache. It was so bad he did something he was unaccustomed to doing- he called off work. Roz didn't complain. All she had to do was pop in a Best of Frasier and maybe she could get some important work done- like file her nails.

He made it clear to everyone that he did not want to be disturbed. So when Daphne knocked on his bedroom door it was with more than a little trepidation. He could be a handful when ill, to say the least.

"Yes Daphne?"

"Dr. Crane I'm so sorry to bother you but you have a visitor who insists you'd want to see her."

"It's not Lilith is it? I'd really hate to be disturbed especially if it were her."

"No Doctor Crane. It's Diane Chambers. Would you like me to see her off?"

Frasier was stunned. They'd had a parting of the ways, so to speak, some years ago, and so he wasn't quite sure of what to expect from her. "No it's okay Daphne. I'll be out in a minute."

Daphne wasn't sure who was worse- Lilith or this Diane lady, but it was Doctor Crane's house so she had to do as was ordered. Some days she wished she could call off sick herself.

"Diane. What a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon.." or ever.

"I know Frasier. But after our last visit I couldn't help but stop in again. I couldn't let things end on such a melancholy note could I?"

After hugging her, he laughed nervously. "No, I suppose we couldn't. It would be a shame to think of my world without knowing that somehow, in some small way, we weren't still connected."

Diane beamed. "Oh Frasier, you always know the right thing to say. I just have had a terrible experience. I needed your advice..."

What did she think he was, a shrink? Oh yeah, that's right. He was. Just not her shrink. They couldn't pay him or anyone enough money for that.

"I just came back from Boston..."

"Boston? What brought you to Boston? Don't tell me..."

"Yes, it was Sam. When wasn't it Sam?"

Frasier nodded sadly. Never had a truer statement been told.

"What...what brought you back to Sam might I ask?"

"Oh it's a long story. You really wouldn't' want to hear it."

"Oh I suppose you're right. Let me guess, things ended badly and you sought solace from your true friend...someone who's always been your true friend?"

Diane nodded through her tears. "Oh Frasier, I knew I could count on you to understand. I don't know what went wrong this time. He was packed, I was ready...but then on second thought he decided he couldn't leave his home. I guess I wasn't enough for him."

Frasier thought about it for a minute. He'd always wondered who Sam would choose, Diane or Cheers, and now he had his answer. "Oh Diane, you always knew where his heart truly lay..."

She reached for a Kleenex which Daphne had so thoughtfully provided. "Oh Frasier you're right. If it was another woman I would understand. I can't compete with a bar. What does that say about me?"

"That doesn't say anything about you. It tells you all you need to know about Sam. He's a bartender at heart. He gets to play for a living. How many people can say they get to do something they love for a living?"

"Do you? Do you love what you're doing?"

Frasier didn't even have to think twice. "Of course."

"Would you choose love over your job? The Frasier I once knew would have."

"You can say that. But that's neither here nor there. Sam Malone and I are two very different creatures. You know, they say a person can't go home. Maybe that seems to be the case here."

"What are you saying Frasier? That I went there knowing that things with Sam wouldn't work out?"

"Subconsciously, yes. You were looking for validation for all of the choices, good and bad ones, you've made in your life. It seems you've found it."

"Oh Frasier, how did you ever get to be so smart?"

Frasier smiled warmly as he embraced her. "That's easy. It comes from the company I keep."

"Why did I..."

"It doesn't matter now does it? Life goes on, and so have we both. We both have found in each other lifelong friends who will be there for each other whenever the need arises. I want you to know this, Diane, and I mean this with all of my heart- I'm proud of you. I'm proud of you for listening to your heart once in awhile and on the other side listening to your head on occasion. No matter where life takes you know that you'll never be far from my mind."

"I love you Frasier. I want you to know that."

He took a deep breath. "I love you too, Diane."

And never before had he realized just how truly he had, would, and always would love Diane. Theirs wasn't a grand love affair, perhaps like hers and Sam's had been, but there was no doubt in his mind anymore that it had been love. And just for the moment, just for the two of them, that was good enough to get them through another day.

The end


End file.
